Automatically closing and opening receptacles.



T. W. MGNEILL. AUTOMATICALLY CLOSING AND OPENING RBOEPTAOLES.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 8, 1913.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

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7IIE NORRIS PETE-(.5 (50.. Puma 1' H1101. wAsI/mmu u UNITED STATESParana ormen THOMAS W. MCNEILL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOE ETCREID, MUIRDOGH 8a 30., OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATICALLY CLOSING AND OIENING RECEPTAGLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 6, 191 1.

Application filed September 8, 1913. Serial No. 738,532.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS W. MONEILL, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Automatically Closing and Opening Receptacles, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatically closing andopening receptacles.

In a co-pending application filed by me October 21st, 1912 forimprovements in sys tem for transporting material in bulk, whichapplication is identified by Serial No.

726,958 I disclosed, in connection therewith,'

a receptacle designated by reference character 21, the general featuresof which are reproduced in the accompanying drawings.

In my former application the lower valve was shown to be unrestrainedand after it had been automatically opened, by the weight of thesuperimposed contents of the receptacle or tank the counter-balancingweight would cause it to close before the contents had been completelydischarged.

The object of my present invention is to provide means for positivelyholding the valve open until the entire contents has passed out of thereceptacle, after which the valve is released and thereby closed by thecounter-balancing weight which is adapted to normally hold the valveclosed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of the receptacleshowing it in position before it has been moved to per mit opening ofthe valve that closes the discharge opening at the lower end thereof.Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the receptacle after it has been movedto permit open- 1 ing of the valve and showing the means for 1 of thetank and is pivoted, as at 11, to a transverse lever 12. The lever 12 ispivoted to a depending arm 13 projecting downwardly from a carrier 14.On one side of the pivot 15 is a counter-weight 16 which is adjustablealong the beam or lever 12. Secured to the depending arm 18 are stops17-17 that limit the movement of the arm 12. Now it is evident that whenthe counter-weight 16 is heavier than the tank 5 and its contents, thatthe parts will be in the positions shown in Fig. 1 and if the tank 5 andits parts, including its contents, overbalance the weight 16 the partswill be in the positions shown in Fig. 2. A fitting 18 is secured nearthe top of the tank and communicates with a conduit 18 by means of whichthe material to fill the tank is conveyed thereto. A retarding dash pot19 prevents spasmodic or too rapid movement of the tank and thecounteracting weight 16. An air valve fitting 20 communicates with theupper end of the tank, as at 21, and is provided with an opening 22which, under certain conditions, permits the air to pass into the tankand under other conditions is closed by the valve. A pipe 23 is intendedfor communication with an exhaust pump or other means for pumping theair from the tank or receptacle 5. A valve 24: is rotatable in the valvefitting 20 by means of an arm which is secured thereto. The extended endof the lever 12 is secured to the arm 25 by means of a link 26 so thatwhen the tank moves, from its upward position to its lowest position,the valve 24 is rotated by means of the arm 12. In the position shown inFig. 1 the exhaust means is in connection with the interior of the tankand the valve 21 is turned properly to permit this condition, while inFig. 2 the valve is turned so as to close the pipe 28 and to permitcommunica tion between the fitting 22 and the interior of the tank thatair may pass through the pipe 22 into the tank. hen air is being pumpedfrom the tank the atmospheric exterior pressure, due to the attenuationwithin the tank is the means by which the valve 7 is held tight upon itsseat in the opening 6. Any suitable gasket may be employed for renderingthe valve air tight with reference to its face.

The apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings is to be usedespecially in a system for transporting materials in bulk, such aspickles in brine or other similar objects in a fluid or liquid. Thereceptacle 5 will be filled with such material through the openin 18 andthe weight or" the material in the receptacle will overbalance thecounterbalance weight 16 to cause the tank or receptacle to descend othe position shown in Fig. 2, in which case the tendency toward vacuumin the receptacle is overcome by admission of air through the fitting 22of the valve Therefore pressure being thus removed the valve 7 is nolonger held closed and will be opened by the weight of the contents ofthe tank. Now the counterbalancin weight 9 would immediately cause thevalve 7 to close again if it were not for my present improvement,whereby the door or valve? is held open until the tank 5 is returned bythe wei ht 16 substantially to the position shown in Fig. 1. To carryout this feature of my invention, which is the subject matter of thisapplication, a latch 27 is pivoted to the side of the tank 5, as at 28,and is secured to the arm 25 by means of a pin ano slot connection 29 ofthe rod 30. The lower end of the rod is pivotally secured to the outerend of the latch 27, as at 31, and is d' *ided into two sections by aturn buckle so that the exact length of the rod may be accuratelyadjusted by means of said turn buckle.

An angular bar 33 is secured to the weight 9 of the valve 7 and its freeend forms one latch member with the other pivoted men"- be'r The bar 33carries a bumper, such as a piece of rubber 34, to prevent unnecessarynoise and to relieve the shock when the door 7 is suddenly opened. Nowwhen the valve, or door 7 is opened, it assumes the positionsubstantially as that shown in Fig. 2 where the bar 33 makes latchingengagement with the latch 27 to hold the door in this position duringthe time that the tank 5 is in depressed position, as shown in Fig. 2,and the valve 7 is positively retained in this position until the latch'27 is raised, as when the counterbalancing weight 16 overcomes theweight of the receptacle 5, shown in Fig. 1, in which event thecounterbalancing weight 9 will cause immediate closing of the valve 7'after the content of the receptacle 5 has been completely discharged sothat the premature closing of the valve 7 will not smasn or otherwiseinjure or bruise the fruit vegetable or other like material that is passing out of the receptacle.

Whlle I have herein shown a single embodiment of my invention forpurpose of clear disclosure, it is evident that variations my be madetheretrom within the scope ot the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. in device of the character described, a receptacle having a dischargeopening at its lower end, a valve to close the opening; a pi 3e forconnection to an air exhausting means, to exhaust the receptacle to holdsaid discharge valve closed; a valve in said air pipe; means movable bythe increased weight of the filled receptacle to actuate the air valve,whereby to operate the valve closing the discharge opening, and meansfor holding said latter valve open until return of said movable meansafter the discharge of said receptacle.

2. in a device of the character described cylindrical receptacle havinga discharge opening at its lower end;-a counter balance valve toautomatically close the opening; a

ijeaii's to exhaust the receptacle to hold said charge valve closed; avalve in said air pipe; pivoted lever to which said receptacle is attachd at one side of its axis; a counterbalance weight ior said receptacle,on the other side oi the axis ot'said lever; a link connecting saidlever and air valve; a latch for holding said discharge valve open,movable when the weight of said receptacle is overcome by said counterweight, to release said discharge valve and means, movable by saidair-valve-moving-means to unlat'ch and release said discharge openingvalve and a counter-weight to close said valve.

3. in a device of the character described,

a receptacle 5, pivotally secured to a lever 12;.

a lever 12 pivoted as at 15, to a stationary part 13; a counter-balanceweight 16 to overcome the weight of the receptacle; a fitting 18 forconnection to a conduit for ingress of the material to the receptacle; avalve 7 for closing the lower open end of said receptacle; a counterbalance weight 9, adapted to automatically close the'said valve wienreleased; a pipe for connection to an exnaust means; anair valve 2 1 forcontrolling said exhaust means; means connected with the lever 12 forcontrolling said air valve'and a latch 27, operable by means of the bar12, for releasing the valve 7 when the receptacle has been discharged ofits contents and the counter-weight 16 raises I said receptacle.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

.THOMAS WV. MONEILL. In the presence of- Foniin Barn, Mary F. ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner'of Patents, Washington, D. G.

